The origins of the Law Society are thought to date back to the 18th century.

In 1739, and probably earlier, a society of solicitors and attorneys existed called 'The Society of Gentleman Practisers in the Courts of Law and Equity'.

The earliest records show an intention to regulate and discipline its members, and self-imposed rule at this time insisted that a brief should not be accepted by a barrister direct.Solicitors and attorneys were at one time members of the Inns of Court.

This connection was weakened and then severed in the 18th century, when solicitors were relegated to the subordinate Chancery inns, which provided their earliest system of legal education.

These inns declined in status and were eventually dissolved, the last to disappear being Cliffords Inn, whose premises were sold.

The proceeds were invested by Chancery order in 1905 and annual income split between the Law Society and the Council of Legal Education for educational purposes.The Gentlemen Practisers Society was dissolved in about 1817, and it is thought to be the germ of the Law Society.

Bryan Holme, a one time member of New Inn and the Gentleman Practisers Society, endeavoured to revive a Law Society for London.

Initially called the London Law Institution, the word 'London' was later dropped to encourage the support of country solicitors.This enterprise was originally in the nature of a joint stock company, and led to the establishment of the Incorporated Law Society.

A deed of settlement was prepared in 1827 to hold land, and the Chancery Lane site was purchased.

After a delay, caused by bad weather, party wall and ancient lights disputes, a hall, forming part of the present building, was finished in 1831.

Members had the satisfaction of holding their annual meeting for the first time in their own hall.Stimulus for continued growth of the Society was given by the grant of a Royal Charter in 1831.

This supplanted the deed of settlement, and was later surrendered and replaced by a new charter in 1845 under which, with later amendments, the Law Society is now constituted.

At that time the Society had about 1250 members.The new charter retained the ponderous title of 'The Society of Attorneys, Solicitors, Proctors, and others not being Barristers, practising in the Courts of Law and Equity of the United Kingdom'.

The Society was governed, as it is today, by a President, Vice-President, and an elected Council.

Power was given to the general membership to make bye-laws with reasonable penalties for their enforcement.

Supplemented by statutory authority, the Society now regulates and disciplines all practising solicitors.The title 'attorney at law' was abolished by the Judicature Act 1873.

This ended a description which was in use at the time Chaucer's merry band of pilgrims left t he Tabard Inn at Southwark, and is also mentioned in the Statute of Merton 1235.

By supplemental charter the manageable title of 'The Law Society' was introduced in 1903.Professor Aubrey Diamond, heading a bye-laws revision committee in 1985, concluded that the original constitution of the Law Society was basically sound, the only significant change having been an alteration in the system of election of Council members made in 1969.

Candidates are now nominated and elected by individual constituencies from an electoral roll of their members.Once established, the Society enhanced the position of its members and promoted reform of the law.

A notable achievement was a move to concentrate the law courts, which were scattered about London.

A committee commenced to agitate for this reform in 1835.

After years of vigorous effort, led by solicitor Edward Wilkins Field, the site between Carey Street and the Strand was chosen.

The Royal Courts of Justice, completed in 1882, are a tribute to Edward Field's foresight.From the outset the Society maintained employment, property and mortgage registers.

Monthly lists of these were sent to members.

In 1903 they were included in a new publication entitled 'The Law Society's Gazette and Register'.

Originally this was not intended to be a legal journal, but gradually more information of a general professional interest was included.

In 1972 publication of the Gazette as the weekly journal of the Law Society began, and a year later the Law Guardian was taken over.The Society was also involved in the legal education of students.

In 1868 WA Jevons of Liverpool, a former member of the Council, advocated the formation of a legal university.

This proposal had the backing of the Society on condition that it was open to solicitor and barrister students.

Despite reaching Parliament the proposal was lost on a division by 116 votes to 103.

Thereafter solicitors and barristers went their separate ways.Legal education became the sole responsibility of the Society in 1877.

Previously, the judges were empowered to make regulations for the conduct of examinations, then by statutory authority the Society was placed in control.

Courses were provided from an early date, and in 1903 a school of law was established.

In 1922 attendance at an approved law school became compulsory, resulting in an increased practising certificate fee.In 1962 the Society's College of Law was established at Braboef Manor, Guildford, incorporating Gibson and Weldon, the renowned private firm of law tutors founded 80 years earlier.

By 1992 the college was also established in Chester, York and Store Street, London.A library has always featured prominently in the Society's activities.

The one in use today still occupies a purpose designed room built in 1856.

The ceilings are lofty and the decor typical of the Victorian age.Services now provided have kept pace with the explosion in information technology.

CD-ROM, on-line facilities, and access to an immense external database are available.

There are some 20,000 volumes on visible display with another 45,000 in store and accessible to readers.From its inception the Society steadily progressed to create a single profession from the various groups of practitioners which existed previously.

In the provinces solicitors served the interests of prosperous tradesmen and farmers; in the metropolis the landed classes and wealthy were among their clients.

World War I, however, disturbed this tranquil scene, bringing to an end the formative years of the Society.During the war the Council establ ished committees to advise various tribunals and military representatives, and dealt with applications for exemption from military service of solicitors and articled clerks.

Later, arrangements were made to consider and advise upon maintenance and training grants for returning servicemen.

The toll of the war can be judged from the memorial tablets and scrolls at Chancery Lane.

There the names of 1127 solicitors and articled clerks who lost their lives are recorded.In 1926 the Society and provincial Law Societies were entrusted with the operation of a scheme to provide legal aid under the 'Poor Person Procedure'.

The result was an unqualified success in relieving the backlog of cases under the previous scheme administered by a government department.During the 1930s a phenomenal growth in house building created a mass conveyancing market.

By 1939 about 17,000 solicitors held practising certificates, and the country abounded with small prosperous practices.

Once again, however, war intervened to interrupt a period of growing prosperity.The Society's activities were directed towards the war effort and difficulty was encountered in finding solicitors to manage practices of those on war service.

Over 7202 solicitors and 2253 articled clerks served in the forces.

A total of 537 lost their lives, and a memorial in their honour was unveiled in 1950 on the west wall of the reading room.By 1947 the Society was still occupied with many consequences of the war.

It was a time of austerity and the Gazette, for example, was experiencing difficulty in getting an allocation of paper.

There followed a period of adjustment to peacetime conditions; the activities of the Law Society expanded, and the number of new entrants increased.

A collegiate spirit was encouraged by the introduction in 1950 of a formal admission ceremony.Activity by the Society increased both in purely professional areas and in promoting law reform.

By 1959 the number of solicitors had doubled from the end of the war, and 10,000 had become members of the statutory and voluntary legal advice schemes administered by the Society.

With the increasing number of women members of the Society, facilities for them were provided at the Law Society's Hall.

By the 1980s half of new admissions were women.With the higher profile given to solicitors by the media, the growing importance of public relations was recognised.

In 1961 a television documentary The Lawyers, made with the co-operation of the Society, broke new ground.

To meet growing press criticism of the profession, public relations activities were later strengthened, resulting in better press coverage.From 1975 onwards the increasing intervention of the Society in solicitors' practices became evident.

In that year the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal was set up, and a practice rule governing the supervision of branch offices introduced.Probably one of the severest shocks to the whole profession was Austin Mitchell's success, in provoking the government to legislate in 1984 for the removal of solicitors' near monopoly in conveyancing.

This stimulated competition and had a dramatic effect upon the proportion of income received from this source.

It is now estimated to be only 10% of the profession's earnings.

Consequently, solicitors have been forced to widen their area of activity by providing financial services and developing other areas of work.Demands upon the Society show no sign of diminishing.

Major changes in vocational training, investigating suspected default and administering the compensation fund are just a few responsibilities which absorb considerable resources.

With the burgeoning legal activity arising in the European Union, increasing regulation of the profession is inevitable.

The future task of the Society in managing its many activities is immense.